Combined floating breakwater and power generator



Sept. 2 1924. v 1,507,461

. R. P. CHASE COMBINED momma BREAKWATER AND Power: Gnnnmvron Filed ,July'12, 1922 lz'axl/enbr. RMC.) CHASE Manley,

Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

v"RoiaEa'i notrAsE, 0Efiiroiatrziaa,vliiniroaixiin.'i

, COMBINED rLoATiNeBREAKWATEE AND POWER GENEa'TeEi i To all whom it mayconce/rn.' q y Be' it known that I, RoEER'r P.` CHASE, a

lcitizen of the United States, residingfat Montara, in the county of SanMateo and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvementsiiil Combined Floating Breakwaters and Power Generators, of which thefollowing isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements in combined floating break watersand power generators, the principal object ofwhich istoprovide meanswhereby the forceof the waves adjacent the shore is broken up before`reaching the shore, thereby, ypreventingY shoaling, and at the sametime providing a safe 'anchorage for vessels 4and the like. Anotherobject is to provide means for storing up and generating power derivedfrom the action of the waves.

A further object is to provide a device of the above mentioned characterwhich may be readily moved from point to point and one which is cheap toconstruct in comparison with the ordinary break water.

A still further object i is to provide ya break water which may beemployed where the depth would make it impractical to build a breakwater reaching from the bottom to a point above the high water mark.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication, and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device showing the position it wouldtake in the water, and

Figure 2 isa diagrammatic view showing the position that several unitswould assume in the protection of a harbor or shore line.y

Heretofore,as far as applicant is aware, break waters have been built atenormous expense, and in many places it would be entirely impossible tobuild a suitable break` water due to the shape of the harbor or shoreline, and'also due to the depth at which the shore shelves off. Itherefore propose to construct a break water which is composed of aseries oftanks, which float at a suitable distance fromy the shore line,which tanks are so constructed to arrange that they will break up theforce `of the waves, and at the same time a portion of the water of thewaves will beconserved in the tanks and later released through suitablevalves to power Agenerators such asturbines.

In the accompanying drawings wherein` 'forV the purpose of illustrationis shown a preferred embodiment of -iny invention, the

numeral Y 5 designates the bottom at a point some distance fromfth'eshore which is designated by the-numeral 6 Ain Figure 2. The

vto anchors 9` and llfburi'edv in the* bottom 5.@ i

numerals -7 and 8 referto chains'secured These chains-extend vupwardlyand aresecured' through the medium of eyes :12'and '13, the side of vthetank being designated as` ay whole by the numeral 14. This -tank 14 hasa flat' bottomf16 andan inclinedftop 17. By thiscons'truction-,f` theside elevation of the tank lia'sQthe appearance Aofla wedge, the point?of which-projects 'in tlief--d-irectionv of the oncoming wa-ves.Asui'table weight 18 is located inthe side of the tank 14 so that thesame Aassumes the position shown in Figure 1,-that is, with the bottomofthe tank 16 on the leve At 19, vI have shown a hollow tank which issecured 'as by links721 and 22 to the tank 14.` This tank 19 issubstantially rectan-v gular in shape-and may be of any convenient solsize best suited for the use to which it is being placed. Thistank 19supports upon its upper surface a tank 23 having a vertical rea-r side24 vand an inclined top 26. This `inclined top extends downwardly so asto join the inclined top 17 of the tankV 14.y Y

This tank 23is adapted to be filled with sea water through openings 27,28 and 29, which openings 'have secured adjacent thereto scoops asindicated at 31, 32 and 33,'while a suitable [outlet 34 provides for the.escape of theV sea water from within the tank 23.

This catching of the water at the same time, prevents the Ausualundertow incident to the receding of a wave and further assists linbreaking up the wave action.`

It will thus bev seen that I have' `provided a very simple meansofbreaking up the wave action at a point beyond the shore therebyproviding av harborl of relatively quiet water, and at the same time Ihave prevented the destructive actionvof the waves upon the shore whichcauses rapid shoalin which in some sections` is very pronounced.

It will also be'seen that I have provided a i structure which isexceedingly cheap in comparison to the usual break water, and onewhichmay be transported from place to` place, as occasion may requireVthe changing sorted to without departing, from` the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described Vmy invention, I claim 1. In a fioatingbreakwater,a tank adapt-- ed to. act as a float, a tapered tank secured to saidfirst mentioned tank, a weight provided at the forward end ofsaidtapered tank for the purpose of retaining the ta` pered portion of saidtank at a point beneath the surface ofthe water, a third tank mount` edon said first mentioned tank, and means for 'filling said thirdmentioned tank through the action of waves contacting therewith. v f,

2. In a floating breakrwater, a tank adapted to act as afioat, ataperedtank secured to said first mentioned tank, a weight provided at thevforward end of said tapered tank for the purpose of retaining thetapered p0rtion of said tankat av point beneath the surface of thewater, a third tank mounted on said first mentioned tank, means forfiliing said third mentioned tank through the action ofI wavescontacting therewith, and means for 'deriving power from the waterwithin said third mentioned tank.

3. In a floating break water, a tank adapted to act as a slope,aitapered tank secured' to said first mentioned tank, the small end ofsaid tapered tank extending awayfroln said first mentioned tank, aweight securedl to the forward end of said tapered tank for the purposeof retainingthe same at a point between the surface` of the water, athird tank mounted on said. first mentioned tank, a plurality oflongitudinally disposed scoops positioned on said third mentioned tank,

said tank having openings formed there-V v i through at points adjacentsaid scoops, and means for deriving power from water stored within saidthird mentioned tank through thefaction of said scoops.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' ROBERT P. CHASE.

